This invention provides a reusable container for protecting a medical syringe in a charged or uncharged condition. The container protects the syringe against accidental breakage, discharge or spoilage through exposure to light. The container also enhances protection offered by needle sheaths in reducing the likelihood of unwanted contact with a needle. The invention also provides for identification of the condition of charge in the syringe contained therein.
Prior art syringe protection devices are generally designed to meet three different objectives. The three purposes shown by prior art devices are: preserving sterility; tamper resistance or tamper evidence and reduction of unwanted contact with used syringes and needles. Prior art solutions sometimes combine two or three of these attributes. The prior art generally adopts a "use once and dispose" approach varying only to the extent the devices may be opened and locked closed once for destructive reopening under controlled conditions.
An example of a sterility preserving device is shown in Soren U.S. Pat. No. 3,157,277 which uses tear away seals. Multiple sealing media and collapsible members are also used in Thackston U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,652.
Various configurations of needle sheaths are used to cover needles on syringes in combination with break-away elements. Typical of these approaches are Hamilton U.S. Pat. No. 3,367,488, Brown U.S. Pat. No. 3,783,997 and Vanderbeck U.S. Pat. No. 3,485,239. Other approaches are devices which retract the needles as shown in Armel U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,775 and Leeson U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,971.
Other needle sheath approaches include Staebler U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,910, Ogle U.S. Pat. No. 3,272,322, Brown U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,311 and Landis U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,259 and Smith U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,722. An additional tamper resistant structure is shown in Horner U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,408.
In certain situations there is a need to provide protection for charged and uncharged syringes with needles in place where the container, syringe and needle, either in combination or separately, can be reused. In these, the syringe itself, a separate needle sheath and the operator's procedures accomplish the object of sufficient sterility. In some situations there may be relatively low risk of infection from accidental contact, and adequate controls commensurate with risk of tampering are present. Under these circumstances a reusable device is desirable. One circumstance in particular is where an intervenes insulin user self-administered, prescribed insulin.